Get ready for a berry good time at the Vaile Mansion Strawberry Festival

by Corbin Crable | May 29, 2025 | Mid-American

June 2025

Get ready for a berry good time at the Vaile Mansion Strawberry Festival

Independence’s Vaile Mansion will be the site of summer fun when the mansion hosts its annual Strawberry Festival on June 7.

Shop for crafts and antiques from vendors on site, listen to live musical entertainment, and take your kids by the festival’s children’s corner. Of course, the highlight of the event – plentiful baskets of strawberries, strawberry shortcake and strawberry ice cream – will allow visitors to savor the sweetest tastes of summer.

Admission to the festival is free, and the festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call Vaile Mansion at 816-325-7430 or visit www.vailemansion.org.

Get ready to dig into some juicy strawberry pie at the annual Vaile Mansion Strawberry Festival. (Image courtesy of recipessimple.com)

Merchant Square packs the June calendar with variety of events

by Corbin Crable | May 29, 2025 | Mid-American

June 2025

Merchant Square packs the June calendar with variety of events

Merchant Square Antique Marketplace in Independence is keeping its calendar full this month.

June kicks off with a red, white, and blue market pop-up June 1-30, a warmup to the Fourth of July holiday, featuring patriotic Americana and other vintage treasures. A classic car show will rev up the fun on June 7. And discover if those hand-me-downs are worth anything with an appraisal fair on June 14. A Father’s Day giveaway will follow on June 15.

If those deals aren’t enough, how about storewide bargains? Merchant Square will welcome the middle of June with a storewide sale June 20-22.
As always, come in for Senior Tuesday every Tuesday; also, military service members receive 10% off anytime.

While you’re at Merchant Square, don’t forget to visit the store’s most recent addition, the American Way Market Café, featuring BBQ, locally grown produce, locally raised meats and dairy, and bread baked daily in house.

For more information, call 480-792-1919 or visit www.merchantsquarevintage.com.

Batter up! Merchant Square’s full list for the month of June is a home-run for lovers of antiques, vintage, and even sports collectibles. (Image courtesy of Facebook)

Find your cheer at What Cheer Flea Market

by Corbin Crable | Apr 28, 2025 | Mid-American

May 2025

Find your cheer at What Cheer Flea Market

Hailed as “one of the don’t miss flea markets in the Midwest,” the What Cheer Flea Market returns to the What Cheer Fairgrounds, May 1-4.

Fabulous flea finds at the market include antiques, military memorabilia, collectibles, old tools, primitives, postcards, glassware, stamps, coins, jewelry, furniture, baseball cards, and more.

The next flea market will run July 31-Aug. 3. For more information, call 319-404-4066 or visit www.whatcheerfleamarket.com

What Cheer Flea Market

The What Cheer Flea Market always features the colorful, fun, and fanciful. (Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

Find your next treasure at Brownville Spring Flea Market

by Corbin Crable | Apr 28, 2025 | Mid-American

May 2025

Find your next treasure at Brownville Spring Flea Market

Now in its 67th year, the Brownville Spring Flea Market will delight a new generation of antique enthusiasts when it returns to town May 24-26, at Main Street and the Historic Depot in Brownsville.

Up for grabs will be antiques, collectibles, crafts, and hand-made art from more than 250 vendors. Admission and parking are free, and there are plenty of nearby motels and campgrounds if you want to make an entire weekend of your visit.

The event is sponsored by the Brownville Historical Society. For more information, call 402-825-6001 or visit www.brownvillehistoricalsociety.org.

Brownville Spring Flea Market

Brownville is ready to welcome you to the 66^th annual Brownville Flea Market, coming up on Memorial Day weekend. Image courtesy of Facebook

Get crafty on the Square in Garnett

by Corbin Crable | Apr 28, 2025 | Mid-American

May 2025

Get crafty on the Square in Garnett

Enjoy some small-town hospitality (and homemade crafts, of course) in downtown Garnett during the 2025 Square Fair on May 10. The annual event held on Mother’s Day weekend each year is sponsored by the local Business & Professional Women organization.

Vendors will be set up on the Anderson County Courthouse lawn, selling wares from across the state. Don’t forget to grab a bite at one of the many food vendors on site as well.

For more information, visit www.garnettbpw.com.

Garnett Square Fair

Small-town charm meets creativity-inspired crafts at the Garnett Square Fair, May 10 in Garnett. (Image courtesy of garnettbpw.com)